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04/27/08
On January 7 the NSAC announced they would begin testing fighters randomly. The selection process makes fighters eligible for testing if they are suspected of using banned substance, are applying for a license to fight in Nevada, or have a fight lined up. The additional testing, which is paid for by the commission, is in place to deter drug use and the use of anabolic agents – which some athletes are able to time (known as cycling) so they test negative come fight time. The random drug testing has extended outside of mixed martial arts as well. The NSAC tested boxers Shane Mosley and Zab Judah – both of which tested negative. The additional testing is a giant leap forward towards cleaning up combat sports. Steroid use in mixed martial arts is no secret, and it is more common than ideal.
Notable steroid use in mixed martial arts *Both Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca tested positive for steroids following their July 19, 2007 UFC lightweight title bout – and were subsequently suspended. Sherk was stripped of the title *Josh Barnett tested positive following his UFC heavyweight championship victory on March 22, 2002. Along with a suspension, he was also stripped of his title. *Royce Gracie tested positive for Nandrolone following his June 14, 2007 rematch with Kazushi Sakuraba. He was suspended through May 30, 2008 and fined $2,500. *Tim Sylvia was stripped of his UFC heavyweight title after testing positive for Stanozolol following his September 26, 2003 victory. Along with a suspension and fine, he was stripped of his title. While each case differs dramatically as far as motivation and guilt is concerned, each fighter listed above is prominent in the sport and at the top of the game. Additionally, lower-tier fighters have also tested positive for anabolic agents. A more common trend, however, has seen fighters test positive for drugs of abuse – such as cocaine, marijuana, pain killers, and even methamphetamines. While many argue over whether marijuana is a big deal or not, it is definitely illegal in the United States. Additionally, other drugs of abuse, like cocaine, are outlawed for obvious reasons and for fighter safety. Unfortunately some fighters can’t keep away, however. Notable drugs of abuse use in mixed martial arts *Melvin Guillard tested positive for cocaine following his April 5, 2007 UFC bout. The NSAC fined him $2,100 and suspended him for eight months. *Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana following his February 24, 2007 PRIDE bout. Along with a suspension and fine, the NSAC ruled that the marijuana helped Diaz win the bout – causing them to overturn his original submission victory to a no contest. *Tim Percy tested positive for methamphetamines following his June 14, 2007 bout which resulted in both a fine and suspension. *Following his UFC debut on September 22, 2007, Kazuhiro Nakamura tested positive for marijuana and was subsequently fined and suspended. Those are simply a few examples of numerous fighters testing positive for drugs of abuse. The extension of banned substances even goes as far as diuretics. Thiago Alves tested positive for a diuretic following his December 30, 2006 bout. While the increased risk of getting caught for using banned substances increases dramatically at this point, it will unlikely stop everyone from using anabolic agents or drugs of abuse. It will, however, weed out cheaters and those who simply should not be fighting. The increased testing will hopefully help to clean up the sport even more, and perhaps help expand testing into other professional sports.
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